In a shocking turn of events following the crash of Asiana flight 214 at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) earlier this month, a United Airlines customer service agent and his wife have been charged with allegedly stealing luggage in the confusion following the accident.

Sean Sharif Crudup, 44, and Raychas Elizabeth Thomas, 32, have been charged with “one felony count of grand theft and two felony counts of commercial burglary” over the incident, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The paper said Crudup had pleaded not guilty and Thomas had yet to plead. The maximum prison sentence, if convicted, would be four years and four months.

Outlining the state’s case, San Mateo County District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe told the paper that the victims of the alleged theft were flying home to SFO from the Cayman Islands. Their luggage, said to have contained USD 30,000 of clothing, went on an earlier flight which landed at SFO before the crash.

The victims plane was diverted to Los Angeles and they ended up driving from there to San Francisco, only to find on arrival at the SFO luggage area that their bags had vanished.

Surveillance video allegedly showed Crudup going into an airport baggage office, taking a piece of luggage, bringing it out and handing it to Thomas. Thomas allegedly later took “a bunch of the clothing to Nordstrom [the American upscale fashion retailer] to sell it back”, Wagstaffe told the paper.

A warrant was obtained to search the couple’s home, and charges followed.